Chapter 6

 

TREES AND THEIR
ENERGY TRANSACTIONS

0n Lhe dry lsland orl-llerro m the Camry Islands.
mere ls a legend orlne raln Inc: a gum 1‘“ use
IOmLea/‘oewnsl, me leaves orwnlon Wensed
me rnounraln mlsls and caused mler lo dno lnlo
noo lnrge clsrerna wluon were placed benearn The
use was deslroyed ln a s1onn m leu AD. oul
lne sue ls known. and use rernnanls onne elsrern
preserved mus one lreel dlsulled sumclenl
waler {mm the sea mlsu lo meal one needs olsll
me lunaollanrs:
(Davld arsmwelll

Fur rne. lrses hay: always been me raosr pone
uaung reacbers | revere um“ wnen may llve lo
lnoes and (mules. ln loresls and groves... They
struggle wuh all me lorces ol lbslr llyes (or one
lnlng only lo rulnll memselves arcordlng lo uselr
own laws. [0 bulld uo lnelr own lorms. lo
represem rlrernselyes Nollrlng ls boner. nornlng la
more exemplary man s beaulllul slrong nee.

(Herman Hesse, 'l'ms", anoml stalm'ts

lmrnul, Spring mm

l am anonlsned la lhld wnole books on [he tuner
uonmg 01 uees wnlcn mane no menllon a! lnelr
solendld meennnlcal and asyodynamlo oerrorm-
ance.

(ngd, Li]! M Moving Fluids, mall

a poll“ wnlelr ls olren overlooked ls me elven of
lrees In lnereaslng [he lolol oreolorlauon
cansklembly beyond mar rammed by raln gauges.
A large prooomon or me nrne wluclr collecls on
me mugs or Lrees ln rrosls anorwards .saones me
ground as waler. and. m cllmales sum as those or
me arlusn lslea. Ih: lola| amounl 0: water
deposnzd on me mgr from fags and drmlng
clouds ls consmtnable and mos! or u reaches me

suearns or underground slorage. or al leaal re-
places losses from subsequenl ralnlsll.

or more lmporlanu, bowel/2r. to nydrnullo
engllwen ls Lhe easel or woodlands ln moduylng
lne runolr Th: rush or woler [mm bore lullsldes
ls exchanged lor lne slower dellvery rrom [he
malled car-oer ol me woodland, losses by mama
don may be muth dlmlnlsned and [he melllng ol
snow usefully maroon. ln calellmenrs rroro wnlcn
nood warers are largely losr, woodlands may
lnorease lne avallabls runorl by exrendlng the
oerloo or surface now. The roaxlmum noods ox
nyers are reduced. and me lowesr summer llow
Increased. Woodlands are usually mucb more
ellecuve lnan rmrmr yegerallon. aucn as gorse and
neallaer, ln prevenung ure soll lrom belng turned
Irom lne land lnlo an open reseryolr.

-ro prorerl a reseryolr rrorn sllung. lr may be
unnecossary lo olanl large areas. lne sllr belng
arreslcd by sul|ab|e olanllng or narrow belrs ol
woodland, or oy lhe orolecuon nl nolural grown,
along me margns of me slreams.

Some engmeeu conslder lnal |n lne case or
small reservous rne sneller mnnied by . bdl or
use: along me marglns ll or wine ln reduclng lbe
arnounl cf soour or me banks caused by wave
aorlon Alforestluon over oonslderaole areas In
large rxvlr oaslns would. |n many cases. reduce
rne arnounl or sllung ln navlgable nvus and
nlunrles.

A maller whlon does not recelve sumclenl
anenuon ln eonnocuon mm nydraullr englneor.
lng ls me ellecl onudlclous planung or woodland
oonservarlon over small areas A narrow bell of
woodland along me fool or a slope wlll arresl me
soll brouglu down by ralns rrqm use nnlslde. me
encouragement oI dense vegerallon along rne
baunm of a narrow vnllzy may check lbs me of
llood drsoharge lo a uselul ensnl, The olaoung or

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